Infographic: Mobile Security Run Amok

Where is your organization in the battle over mobile device management and security?

2014 marks the 10th anniversary of the world's first mobile malware, Cabir. In the decade since, the incidents of mobile malware have increased dramatically. Yet, according to InformationWeek's 2013 enterprise security survey, the majority of security pros still don't have a clue about what devices are accessing their networks.

Where is your organization in the battle over mobile device management and security? Check out the graphical depiction of the research below, then let's chat in the comments about the challenges you face.

Marilyn has been covering technology for business, government, and consumer audiences for over 20 years. Prior to joining UBM, Marilyn worked for nine years as editorial director at TechTarget Inc., where she launched six Websites for IT managers and administrators supporting ... View Full Bio

Marilyn, In my discussions with practitioners, it's more common that you'd think. The usual justification is that HR requires employees to sign a form where they promise to observe some set of rules and policies. However, as we saw with Edward Snowden, those forms aren't worth the paper they're printed on if the employee decides to misuse mobility. There's also the problem of well-meaning but clueless users who use "0000" as a passcode or stick a post-it note to the back of their tablets with email and SaaS passwords.

Wny not put enforcement in place? Usual reasons are the business won't stand for it (or pay for it)and/or the MDM/MAM market is still too fragmented given that they support multiple platforms.

I certainly understand that trying to stay on top of mobile security is like shooting a moving target. Yet it seems to me that it is equally absurd to spend the time developing policies if you know you can't enforce them.

It does seem that some of these respondents' companies are inviting trouble. For those trying to figure out what baseline to use to improve their BYOD policy, here's what the US CIO issued to agencies nearly 18 months ago:

A Toolkit to Support Federal Agencies Implementing Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Programs

BYOD brings significant benefits to business and improves the efficiency at least one fold. But the security threat is always a headache of IT department. Last month my company pushed the installation of new security software on our BYOD device so that the security is enhanced when accessing company network to download email. The installation process is rather tedious and time-consuming. Furthmore, I do doubt its effectiveness. The stringent policy is good for security but if you cannot enforce it easily, then it's really something of vain.

Part of the issue is also understanding that users too are sensitive to heavy handed IT policies and controls that potentially effect their own privacy. That's why businesses are supplementing standard devuce controls with app and contatent management - especially techniques to isolate and secure business and personal content -at rest and in-flight. If they don't do this effectively (across multiple devices and silos) without adding more burden on IT and a usability tax on the user, then the device will be left at home, become an office paperweight, or as research indicates compromise a business. Whatever the case everyone loses.

"The installation process is rather tedious and time-consuming. Furthermore, I do doubt its effectiveness."

That's a killer assessment, especially from someone who is tech-savvy and not your typical end-user/employee. If a tough, unenforceable BYOD policy turns off even the "believers," then mobile security has truly run amok. There must be a better way.

Hi Marilyn - Definitely a combination - What I personally consider key is having the management flexibility in the tools and tech to not only ensure a policy is enforced, but actually deliver the flexibility needed to guide its development -- especially if policies start off too rigid/control-centric and are being ignored.

If you’re still focused on securing endpoints, you’ve got your work cut out for you. WiFi network provider iPass surveyed 1,600 mobile workers and found that the average US employee carries three devices -- a smartphone, a computer, and a tablet or e-reader -- with more than 80% of them doing work on personal devices.

Published: 2015-03-31The build_index_from_tree function in index.py in Dulwich before 0.9.9 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a commit with a directory path starting with .git/, which is not properly handled when checking out a working tree.